Arbiters of Silas
by StakeTheHeart
Summary: Laura's first semester at Silas U turns out mostly normal. She gains new friends that she will see again when she returns. But this semester won't be like her last, and with the addition of a new roommate, things take a turn down a dangerous path.
1. Chapter 1

**First attempt at a _Carmilla_ multi-chapter. Let's see how this turns out.**

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><p>The trees swayed in the slight breeze, bringing scents on the wind. Besides the moving foliage it was dead silent. There were no animals calling to one another. There were no birds flying from tree to tree. The panther with fur black as the darkest shadow stalked across the grassy clearing, ears swiveling and eyes searching. The strong muscles were tensed, waiting. The sound of a twig breaking off to the right made the giant cat jump to attention just as a huge brownish red furred wolf darted from the cover of bushes. It growled and then snapped a bark before leaping at the cat which hissed and swiped with sharp claws. The wolf dodged and skid through the grass, throwing dirt into the air, having trouble stopping momentum after such a quick action. There was a stand-off between them, piercing golden eyes locked on clear blue. Rumbling growls exchanged between them, teeth bared. The panther crouched low, and the wolf, taking that as a threat, lunged. Strong teeth clamped on the forearm of the large cat, too fast for it to dodge.<p>

It snarled in rage and retractable claws slid forth to gash into the canine's muzzle, gaining a whimper and making it release its hold to back up. The panther pounced soon after, digging in its claws and sinking fangs into the wolf's shoulder. The wolf tossed the panther off and tackled the cat so that it was stuck on its side, vulnerable underbelly exposed. The wolf's teeth sunk into the side of the panther instead when the big cat hurried to its feet, righting itself. In retaliation the panther struck as close to the belly of the wolf, claws tearing through thick fur and gouging flesh. It curved over the ribs and sent the wolf stumbling in pain. Now that the panther was free it could easily end the wolf with fangs piercing the throat of the hated enemy, but instead, it opted to live another day. On swift feet it hastily retreated into cover. The howl of the frustrated wolf echoed through the air but it didn't give chase. The giant black cat kept running, intent on finding a place to hide well away from the wolf so that it could regroup and try again.

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><p>Sleep was eluding Laura once again. It wasn't easy trying to sleep in such a quiet place where the only sounds were from the animals outside; except for tonight. Tonight it was too quiet. It was a completely different atmosphere compared to the bustling city she was used to. It wasn't like she hated visiting her dad, really she didn't. She loved spending time with him. It was just that she had been living in Canada, in the middle of a city, with her mom so long she forgot how different it was to live out close to the forest. Her dad loved the simplicity here as well as hiking and camping and all things nature. Laura couldn't say she shared the same love but she did appreciate it. Being in such a place made her dad very protective though, built for survival in the toughest conditions. This he imparted on her, teaching her how to defend herself, be it a human or animal attacker. She has the pepper spray as well as bear spray to prove it along with hand to hand training. It had been two months of actively exploring the nearby wildness with him.<p>

Today she begged for a break, reminding him that coming here wasn't just to visit him but to take more courses at the school nearby which she would be starting in a month and didn't want to be dead on her feet when she attended, so he agreed, taking the time to drive to the nearest store for groceries and more provisions. It would take him all day due to the distance but she assured him she would be fine right here waiting for him. He was reluctant but eventually conceded. So here she was, ten minutes after he left, having nothing much to do. Her break from school for the summer was an idea her friends shared. They were most likely busy with family so she couldn't call them. She was on her own for now. She decided on something to eat and headed to the kitchen where she pulled out ingredients for a sandwich. She was busy putting it all together at the island counter when there was a bang on the back patio sliding door. The abrupt sound made her jump, dropping the block of cheese on the cutting board with a start.

"Holy crap! What was that?" she exclaimed, putting a hand to her tank top clad chest and her wildly beating heart underneath. She glanced in the direction of the sliding door momentarily before picking up the knife she was using. With wild animals always finding their way close to, and sometimes into, the house she could never be too careful. She cautiously made her way to the sliding door and gasped at what she saw. She had thought it would be some animal, but then she spotted the smeared blood on the glass. She made out a hand print that streaked down to a crumpled figure on the floor.

She hastily pulled open the door, set down the knife, and then hesitantly reached out to feel for a pulse at the person's wrist. Either she couldn't get a good read or there was none. She shifted to try again, not wanting to believe the person was dead, and almost screamed when the hand slipped out from under hers and then latched onto her own in a flash of movement. The person pushed themselves up and then the thick locks of black hair shifted aside to reveal a pale yet highly enchanting face. The most intense eyes met Laura's and she was instantly glued to the spot. The deep brown almost black eyes flicked down a little ways before closing and a pale hand lifted to rub at her face. Now that the hypnotizing stare was off her, Laura jumped back into motion.

"How can I help? Where are you hurt? Is it bad?" she began to question, her stream of uncertainty silenced when the stranger groaned in frustration, which sounded awfully close to a growl.

"Stop…talking," she forced out.

"I'm sorry," Laura replied, trying to rein in the rest of her questions. The girl pushed Laura back and then gestured for her to stand. Laura did as she was told and then took the injured stranger by the hands when she lifted them. With a tug she was pulled onto her feet. She sucked in a breath at the movement that irritated her wounds and let Laura hold her close so that she was propped up securely. She took a step and stumbled but her support was surprisingly stronger than she looked for such a small frame. She was directed inside and taken to the bathroom where she was deposited on the lid of the toilet. She slouched over so that she was resting on her legs and tried to ignore the stinging pain.

"Oh my gosh, what happened to you?" Laura questioned in disbelief, finally seeing the deep puncture wounds on the girl's forearm. It was the source of blood on her hands while her blood dampened shirt concealed another injury on what looked like her side, close to her hip.

"I was out hiking and a wolf attacked me. I tried to find my way back to town but this was closer," she muttered, pressing a hand to her side and averting her eyes. Laura moved to stand in front of her and pointed to the shirt.

"May I see?" she inquired. The stranger lifted her head to look at her, staring and making her uncomfortable until she nodded. With a blush Laura helped her out of her shirt.

"Oh," she gasped when she saw the matching bites.

"I um, I can call 911, uh, I mean, what was it here? 112! Yeah, I can call 112 and have them pick you up. I mean, those look bad and they could be infected," she said, voice wavering. She turned to rush out of the bathroom but she was pulled back. She had been snagged by the back of her shirt and wasn't released until she stayed put.

"No, I'm fine. Can I use your shower and crash here? I just need some rest," she dismissed.

"Just some rest?! Are you crazy?" Laura demanded, eyes wide. The girl smirked, amused by her panicked worry. The expression stopped Laura in her tracks.

"No, I'm not. I'm Carmilla. All I need from you is a shower and a bed. Can you handle that, cutie?" the alluring stranger stated, her voice way more stable and smooth than it had been before. Laura nodded and bit at her lip nervously before pointing a thumb over her shoulder.

"Let me, uh, get you something clean to wear and then you can use the shower," she mumbled. Carmilla nodded and then began unbuttoning her pants so that she could slip out of them. Laura took that as her cue to get going before she would see anything else. She came back with some clothes to see Carmilla standing there with her pants undone, tracing the injury at her side lightly. She glanced at Laura when she entered and set the clothes on the counter. She closed the door on her way out. Moments later the shower turned on.

"My dad will kill me if he finds out I let a stranger in the house," she whined while walking away. Ten minutes passed in which Laura went back to making her sandwich. When she finished she set it aside to get something to drink. She grabbed a cup and set it next to her plate then turned to the fridge. When she turned back around with the jug of orange juice in hand it was to almost drop it in shock. Carmilla was suddenly there, perched on the counter like she hadn't been injured at all, her sandwich in hand.

"Thanks cupcake, I was pretty hungry," she muttered through a full mouth. She swallowed and then shot Laura a pleased smirk before taking another bite. Laura just stood there with her mouth hanging open before she shook her head and scowled.

"That was mine," she stated, setting down the jug on the counter harder than necessary. Carmilla only shrugged.

"So, you look like you're feeling better," Laura continued, crossing her arms and eyeing Carmilla's arm which was now bandaged. She must have gone through the first aid kit they kept under the sink.

"I am," Carmilla replied, finishing the sandwich before sliding off the counter and walking away to enter the living room. Laura narrowed her eyes at her, wondering how she could go from severely wounded to making herself a home without a care in the world. She began to wonder if Carmilla did this often but pushed away anymore thoughts of her in order to make herself another sandwich. She sat down at the breakfast nook to eat then stopped by the living room to check on her guest. Carmilla was sprawled across the couch on her back, her right arm draped over her stomach while the left hung off the couch, the back of her hand brushing the hardwood floor. Laura retrieved a blanket and settled it over her. She had almost all day to sleep before she would have to leave. It was enough time for her to rest. Laura left her there to clean up any and all traces of blood, including the bloody clothes Carmilla left on the floor of the bathroom, before going to her room. Hours later after Laura received a call from her dad letting her know he had to stop to get gas, but he would almost be home, she went to wake up Carmilla and send her on her way. The grumpy girl kept pushing Laura's hand away and grumbled about not wanting to get up but the tiny girl was persistent.

"Ugh, fine, I'm up," Carmilla complained in a raspy voice, sitting up to glare at Laura before standing. The blanket dropped around her, half falling off the couch, but Carmilla just stepped over it and headed for the door.

"Uh, where are you going?" Laura asked her after picking the blanket off the floor and setting it properly on the couch.

"I'm guessing you woke me up to tell me I have to leave, so I'm going," Carmilla replied, a hand resting on the door knob.

"Like that?" she wondered, gesturing to the pajama clothes Laura gave her to wear.

"Well, between you and me, my other clothes are pretty much unsalvageable and these are pretty comfortable, so, thanks again cupcake. Maybe I'll see you around?" Carmilla answered with that smirk that did funny things to Laura's stomach.

"Y-yeah, I guess," she practically whispered, fidgeting. Carmilla stared at her a moment longer, as if committing her to memory, before pulling open the door and leaving. Laura was just glad she was gone in time and that she leant the girl her least favorite pajamas. But now there was silence and Laura couldn't decide how weird all this was on the weirdness spectrum that was her life. She fell back on the couch with a grunt, expecting a warm spot where Carmilla had been laying but found none. Instead of thinking too much on it she fell on her side and pulled the blanket over her, pausing when it fell close to her face. What she assumed was the strange girl's scent met her nose and made her sigh involuntarily. It was a mix between some kind of spice and the woods; like cinnamon and pine. She closed her eyes and drifted in and out of sleep until her dad came in the door. His arms were full of bags when he made his way inside but he still stopped to take in his daughter curled up on the couch.

"Laura?" he called with a smile when she jumped at his voice.

"Huh? Yeah? What 'sup?" she questioned sleepily. He laughed and shook his head, making his way over to the kitchen.

"How does a nice, big, home-cooked meal sound?" he yelled from the kitchen as he unpacked.

"Sounds like the best," Laura answered, already imagining the great food her dad had made before. Living with a constantly busy and working mom meant she was barely around to cook a meal. Laura herself was horrible at it and usually was guilty of eating things packed with sugar and corn syrup most of the time. Her mom wasn't as aware but her dad was and didn't like when she ate unhealthy things so much. So while she was with him during school he would make sure to provide the best quality food every breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While he cooked, Laura sat on the couch with her feet up and her chin resting on her knees, the blanket draped over her shoulders. She was contemplating whether she would ever see Carmilla again and wondered if she went to the same school. Besides that, how was she even able to get up and walk away without a care after a wolf attack? That bite looked pretty gnarly. Her brows creased at the image. She was so lost in thought that it was only then did she realize her dad was trying to get her attention. He told her dinner was done so she dropped off the blanket on her bed, opting to use that one instead, and then joined her dad.

When he asked how her day was alone and what she did while he was gone she steered clear of the stranger she helped, knowing her dad would not be pleased she let someone into the house even though they were hurt, and instead told him what she had done after all that happened when Carmilla was asleep on the couch. She had been in her room double checking that she had everything ready for school. Once dinner was over they watched some TV together before Laura went to bed. She looked forward to going back to school. Even though most of her life had been in the city with her mom along with friends she knew most of her life, it was an entirely different experience out here in a new place with new faces and spending time with her dad. There was just a different way of life here; a weirder one, but interesting all the same. Days passed without much else happening. Then it was the week before classes would start and the Hollis household acquired yet another guest, this one familiar. Laura checked the window in the door before opening it, smiling when she saw her very tall redheaded friend from school.

"Danny," she greeted after opening the door to let her in. She smiled warmly at Laura as she always did but her eyes seemed to sweep the place before focusing on her tiny friend. The light from the sun hit her in a way that made Laura notice faint and barely there marks across her friend's face. One of the thin lines crossing the bridge of her nose onto her cheek was the most noticeable. She wasn't sure if it was just a trick of the light because they weren't visible once she stepped inside.

"How are you?" she asked, following Laura to the couch where she had been curled up in her, recently made, favorite blanket, drinking cocoa. She took her spot, wrapped herself in the blanket, and then reached over to the side table to get her warm drink. Danny took a seat next to her, posture slightly rigid. Laura noticed but decided not to comment. And was she leaning towards her a little or was that just her imagination?

"I'm fine. Just been relaxing with my dad. He's out getting wood for the fireplace. I know it's not the best time of year but I wanted to light it at least once before I leave. Childhood nostalgia I guess, you know? Anyway, how are you?" she asked.

"I'm good. I've been a little busy. I just wanted to stop by and check on you before the semester starts again and all you want to do is barricade yourself in your room eating cookies and watching TV shows when you aren't in class," Danny teased, gaining a playful slap on the arm from Laura. She laughed and Danny joined her.

"That's not what I do," Laura grumbled, looking down at her hands.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're doing ok. I'd stick around but I have another stop to make. I'll see you at school, ok?" she said, standing to her full height again. Laura always felt so small compared to her. She took the last drink of her cocoa before setting down the empty mug and standing too. She walked Danny to the door and she opened it but didn't step out.

"Hey Laura, you would tell me if you needed help with anything, right?" she asked, gazing down with a serious expression.

"Yeah, why?" Laura replied.

"I mean anything. Even if it seemed inconsequential or even odd," Danny elaborated.

"Sure, I guess, but why are you asking?" Laura inquired, curious. Danny shrugged and ran a hand through her hair.

"I'm just making sure you know that you can come to me for anything. I'll always be there for you," she stated. Laura smiled, touched that she had such a good friend.

"Thanks," she replied. Danny's mildly worried expression lightened a little and she smiled.

"No problem. See you at school. Tell your dad I said hi," she said in farewell while walking out the door. Laura leaned on the edge of it and held a hand up.

"Ok, bye," she replied, shutting the door a moment later, a smile on her face. Her dad came in from the back door and set aside the wood.

"Hey, who was that?" he asked.

"Oh, it was just Danny," Laura answered.

"She didn't want to stick around for dinner?" he questioned.

"She said she had somewhere to be," she explained.

"That's a shame. I want to meet your friends someday kiddo. How about if they aren't doing anything when winter break rolls around we can invite them over?" he suggested.

"Yeah, I'll ask them," she replied with a nod. He smiled and then began setting up the fireplace so that it would be ready when they had dinner. The following days weren't anything more than Laura making sure she had everything and that what she needed was all packed up and ready to go. In no time it was the day before the first day of classes.

"Now remember to keep me up to date. Eat healthy, please, and get all your work done before anything else, ok?" her dad lectured on the drive over. Laura nodded to all his requirements.

"I know dad. I will," she assured him.

"I just worry about you," he apologized with an affectionate smile and a glance at her. She nodded again and patted his shoulder.

"I've already done this once. I'll be fine," she told him. He nodded to himself, but the way he held his eyebrows made Laura suspect he wouldn't stop worrying anytime soon. When they pulled up to the Silas University campus he helped her take out her things from the car. He hugged her tight and wished her luck before reluctantly letting her go. He drove away and she began heading inside.


	2. Chapter 2

Laura made her way to the dorm building she had been assigned before, climbed the stairs with a little difficulty, and then walked down the hall to stop at Room 307. Last year she spent it with a girl named Betty, well Elizabeth, Spielsdorf who was just passing through. She didn't even want to be at this school and left quickly halfway through the semester. Laura didn't get a different roommate after that but she quickly adjusted to being alone. It was that assumed reason that she would be alone yet again that caused her to be slightly surprised when she walked into her room to see someone. There she was, Carmilla, her unexpected injured house guest from a couple weeks ago, lounging on the opposite bed that hadn't been used in so long. She appeared to be in no pain or discomfort at all, her bare arm showing no hint of damage. Laura began to wonder how she didn't even scar when Carmilla looked over at her with an amused smirk.

"Well hey there sweetheart, it looks like we're roommates," she greeted.

"Uh huh, looks like it," Laura replied, a little nervously. It was one thing to be around her in her big home but another when she was sharing such a small space with her. Not to mention she had a pile up of questions she wanted to ask, including why the girl still had and was wearing the pajamas she took from her, yet she held them all back because she had a feeling Carmilla wouldn't answer them properly anyway. Laura walked in and shut the door behind her then began unpacking on her bed, pointedly trying to ignore the piercing stare of the girl behind her. The silence was killing her so she began to talk.

"You go here too?" she inquired.

"Yep, been going here since last semester," Carmilla responded in her lazy drawl.

"Oh, same. Why haven't I seen you before?" Laura wondered.

"I keep to myself," Carmilla answered, a little too casual to actually be casual.

"Huh…so, um, what are you majoring in?" Laura continued.

"Philosophy, and you?" she shot back.

"Journalism," she replied.

"Journalism, eh? So you're a regular Veronica Mars, aren't you?" she teased in return. Laura turned around to raise a brow at her new roommate. Carmilla's smirk just widened.

"Well, I have seen every episode and the newest movie, which wasn't as great as the show but was still nice to watch," Laura said while bustling around the room putting away her things. Carmilla watched her in slight interest before slouching further down the bed, picking up the book she was reading to place it over her face, blocking out the light.

"So when did you get here?" Laura asked, waiting for an answer and getting none.

"Carmilla?" she questioned, turning to see she was asleep. She frowned and shook her head at the rude brush off but turned away to finish unpacking. As soon as she finished the door swung open.

"Right on time guys," she said with a bright smile. Her friends from the previous semester walked in with smiles of their own. LaFontaine, the bio major, and Perry, the floor don as well as the group's mother hen. They exchanged hugs and then settled down, Laura on her well-used chair at her desk where her silver MacBook was already set up, with Perry and LaFontaine on her bed. LaF's gaze traveled to the bed across from them and they frowned slightly. Perry caught the expression and looked too.

"Oh, you have a new roommate this time," she pointed out. Laura glanced over her shoulder at Carmilla who seemed to tense before removing the book over her face so that she could look back at them with a disaffected scowl. Laura felt like there was a tension in the air between them but she wasn't sure so she ignored it the best she could.

"Yeah, this is-" she began to introduce her friends but was cut off.

"What is the ginger squad doing here?" Carmilla demanded, dark eyes on Laura now. They seemed to already know each other.

"We're her friends," LaFontaine answered instead, rather protectively too. Perry placed a hand on her shoulder but nodded along with what she said.

"Then we'll probably be seeing a lot more of each other, won't we?" Carmilla responded.

"Probably," LaFontaine confirmed.

"Which means whatever you guys have going on here needs to be settled," Laura cut in, sensing the unease and reading it right off Perry's face. They both looked to her before nodding and looking away.

"Hey Laura? Can I borrow you a moment?" LaFontaine asked, standing to gesture to the door. Laura left with her and Perry, shutting the door behind them and moving a little ways down the hall.

"Does Danny know?" LaFontaine questioned.

"Know what?" Laura replied.

"That your roommate is Carmilla," LaFontaine clarified.

"No. Why does it matter?" Laura answered. LaF and Perry exchanged a look before they sighed.

"What? Why does that matter?" Laura repeated.

"You really didn't notice?" LaFontaine questioned.

"Notice what?" Laura replied, truly at a loss. LaF began to answer but they were cut off.

"Yeah, notice what?" Danny repeated as she strode up to them, a laid back smile on her face.

"Hey! Danny! We were just talking about you!" LaFontaine exclaimed, having the decency to look guilty that they were about to tell Laura something they knew Danny wanted to tell her.

"Mhm, I can see that," she replied, setting her hand heavily on LaF's shoulder, pushing them away when she passed.

"Laura, hey," she greeted the short girl.

"Hey," Laura replied. She couldn't help but return the redhead's adoring smile.

"I think Kirsch said he was looking for you," Danny said, directing the comment at LaFontaine.

"Huh?" LaF began in confusion. Perry shot them a look and then nudged them, wide eyes demanding that they catch on to the subtle dismissal.

"Oh! Yeah, I should see what he wants," they replied, finally understanding that Danny wanted time alone with Laura. Perry smiled at the two and then hooked her arm with LaFontaine's to lead them away.

"So, uh…what's up?" Laura asked, uncomfortable with the silence that settled once the two friends had left.

"Nothing much. I overheard that your roommate was Carmilla," Danny responded, her voice tightening a little.

"You overheard? Are you sure you weren't just listening in?" Laura replied, skeptical.

"No, I was on my way over here since the conversation started. You just didn't see me. Look, that's not the point. I just wanted to warn you to watch your back when it comes to her. She's bad news," Danny told her, concerned yet stern. Laura understood her natural need to protect those she cared about but she didn't like it when the tall ginger got too overprotective. She wondered if this would escalate to that.

"Why? What makes you think that?" she inquired. Danny dragged a hand through her hair, pushing it back with a sigh.

"I've known her longer than you. She showed up here a semester before you did. I've had classes with her and saw her around campus. I've seen how she is and I just don't trust her," she replied, kind eyes pleading. Laura hummed her continued skepticism and suddenly Danny took her by the hand to clasp between her own.

"Please, just be careful? And don't hesitate to text me, or call me, if she does anything to hurt you in any way. Seriously, I don't trust her," she emphasized. Laura stared at her, searching her for any plain dislike. She found none. Danny was honestly worried.

"Ok, I will," she accepted, nodding. A big smile shone on Danny's face.

"Good, then, I'll see you around?" she asked.

"Yeah, see you," Laura responded. Danny dropped her hand and prepared to turn away when she went rigid. She spun back towards the door to Laura's dorm to see Carmilla leaning on the door jam, half smile directed at Laura.

"Hey cutie, your phone is driving me up the wall. Come shut it up will you?" she called to her.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I'll be right there!" she called back. She flashed Danny a smile and then left to return to her room. Carmilla moved aside so she could enter and then shot Danny a smug smirk. Danny clenched her teeth and held back her rising anger, her fists tightening. Carmilla just shook her head and strode into the room, shutting the door behind her. Inside, Laura was staring at her phone with furrowed brows.

"No one called or texted," she said to her roommate.

"Really? I swear I heard something annoying. Must have just been the ginger giant," Carmilla replied, shrugging uncaringly and throwing herself on her bed. Laura frowned at her but let it go. It seemed Carmilla wasn't a fan of Danny either. Now Laura really wondered if there was just a dislike between them and nothing more. She rolled her eyes and set her phone down.

"What's your problem with her?" she asked, taking a seat on her bed.

"**My** problem? It's really **her** problem with **me**. I didn't even do anything," Carmilla answered. Laura tilted her head questionably but decided to drop the subject. Carmilla didn't look like she wanted to talk anymore so Laura left her alone. By the time it got dark Laura was ready to turn in for the night. Everything was in order for classes to start and she needed to get a good night's sleep. She was just about to lay down when the noise of Carmilla getting ready to leave made her sit back up.

"What are you doing?" she questioned.

"Going out. What does it look like?" Carmilla responded, heading for the door.

"Now? It's late," Laura pointed out.

"Yep, it sure is, for you. Sweet dreams creampuff," she replied, tossing a wink over her shoulder before heading out. Laura huffed out a breath and plopped back onto her pillow. It was just her luck that she got a night owl for a roommate. Once Carmilla had slipped out of the room she quickly made her way outside, heading for the line of trees on the outskirts of campus. She slowed to a stop when she heard someone approaching along with the scent she knew all too well. She turned around with her arms crossed to see Will and JP, her brothers of sorts. Both stopped in front of her, Will with a small frown and JP with a light smile.

"Took you long enough," Will taunted. Carmilla scoffed.

"Where are they?" she asked. JP opened his mouth to answer when the subject of their conversation showed up. Danny strode a little closer but stopped with some distance between them. On either side of her stood LaFontaine and Kirsch.

"Ok dead girl, cut the crap and tell me where you've taken the missing students," the tall ginger demanded of Carmilla, her eyes hardening and her bared teeth sharpening. Her body trembled, making LaFontaine glance at her and Kirsch rest a hand on her shoulder in concern.

"Keep your temper Clifford. We wouldn't want you shifting and starting a fight on school grounds for all to see now would we?" Will retorted. Carmilla pushed him back, a warning glare in her eyes, before rounding on Danny.

"I get that you have some righteous need to defend your homeland, or whatever, but believe me when I say we came here to do the same. We aren't behind the missing students, we're here to solve the problem, just like you. Don't think that just because your whole generation lived here it's not a home for others too," Carmilla warned.

"How can I trust you? Years ago you came here for one thing, to kidnap students for some messed up ritual. How do I know you aren't doing it again?" Danny inquired.

"We were forced to, don't you remember? Mother made us, but with your help we defeated her. Can't we work this out similarly?" JP spoke up.

"You're vampires, you eat people. How is that any different than what we've found out so far about the killer?" Kirsch retorted. JP stepped down and sighed. He was always the most soft spoken of the three.

"Yeah? And you're a werewolf. I'm pretty sure every human is told they're just as monstrous as any vampire," Will snapped.

"We're protectors not killers," Kirsch growled.

"We're getting nowhere like this. If we can't learn to deal with each other then we'll never figure this out," Carmilla interrupted, stepping between the two groups and glancing from one to the other.

"As much as I hate to agree, you're right," Danny grudgingly stated.

"Contrary to hunting down humans, as you thought I was doing, I was actually trying to find anything that could give me a clue as to what this new threat is," Carmilla told her, remembering their misunderstanding in the woods and the resulting fight not too long ago. She knew Danny would figure her out eventually. There was no way a vampire could ever hide from a werewolf for too long. It was only a matter of time. But this nonsense that all vampires were evil and heartless killers was grating on Carmilla's nerves. After all, there were many ways to obtain blood without killing. Uptight wolves just never seemed to grasp that.

"So, did you find anything?" Danny asked.

"No, besides some strange scents I picked up and a couple bodies of people that had gone missing there wasn't much else," Carmilla responded.

"What state were the bodies in?" LaFontaine wondered.

"Torn out necks most of the time but other's had this weird greyish pale color and one or two of them the whole body was ripped apart," Carmilla replied.

"Could there be more than one that we're dealing with?" they directed at Danny.

"It sounds like it could be. I only ever found some with torn out necks. I've never seen the other two descriptions," she replied.

"I've seen some townsfolk all greyish pale before. They weren't dead but I heard they did die not too long after. Not a scratch on them," Kirsch added.

"I know the library from top to bottom as well as the restricted section. It might take a while but I can start researching these signs and let you know when I've come up with something," JP offered.

"Yeah, and maybe, Will and I can get the bros to keep a look out, you know?" Kirsch suggested, tentative but hopeful. Will raised a brow at that but didn't look opposed to the idea. The two were part of the fraternity Zeta Omega Mu, a house filled with brawn and barely any brain that insisted on being the knights of Silas University.

"I could even get some of the girls in on it if they're up for it," Danny said, looking thoughtful. The guys weren't the only ones. Danny was a part of the Summer Society, an outdoor social club for all-girls athletics that capitalized on girl power.

"Good, that's great. Now if you'll excuse me, I still want to spend some of the night on my own terms," Carmilla stated, moving to leave and not caring if her fellow vampires followed or not. They just exchanged a glance before walking off, Will nodding to Kirsch out of their club's respect, and JP smiling at LaF who looked surprised before returning it.

"I'll meet up with you guys later," Danny addressed her pack. They nodded and left together while Danny strode over to Carmilla, grabbing her by the shoulder and spinning her around. Carmilla's teeth clenched together but she held back the natural urge to react to the rough treatment.

"What now?" she huffed out, impatient with the tall girl. They never really got along even though they were now expected to work together to figure out the latest deadly mystery surrounding their supernatural school.

"Just because we're on the same side doesn't mean I fully trust you. Which is why I'm warning you, leave Laura alone. Don't interact with her more than absolutely necessary," Danny told her.

"You're warning me?" the vampire scoffed, an unintimidated brow quirked, cocky.

"Yes," Danny confirmed. Carmilla chuckled in an offhand manner and walked away. Danny was quick to follow.

"Look big red, I've put up with your crap this long for the sake of figuring this all out. I get that you don't like me, and believe me, I don't like you either, but you don't have any right to say what I can and can't do. So I suggest that you get over the fact that I'm sharing a space with your pitiful little human crush if you want this alliance to work," she intoned, voice terse. Danny inhaled heavily and then let it out, a bitter and forced smile twisting her lips.

"You're insufferable," she growled, running a hand through her hair in frustration. Carmilla just shrugged, unaffected by the anger rolling off the wolf.

"Laura might just get tired of you all on her own anyway. It's not like she'd like the kind of person you are. You already lost one," Danny taunted, knowing that Carmilla's ex was a sore spot. She didn't exactly know why, and somewhere deep down she knew it was a low blow, but she was just so tired of the uncaring vampire it just spilled out. She watched Carmilla become rigid as she stopped in place and then she seemed to curl in on herself, her arms wrapping around her middle.

"Don't talk about things you know nothing of," she said under her breath yet still audible to Danny's superior hearing. It was said in a way that held an obvious note of pain and sadness but that was painted over with a heavy coat of rage and hate. She wanted to throw this joint mission aside and attack the tall ginger, but she knew it wouldn't be wise to toss away a useful ally at a time like this. She was pissed, not stupid. The vampire's dark eyes flicked up to stare holes in the wolf before she disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Danny stood alone with the dissipating smoke, not walking back until it had completely cleared. Even she knew she had gone too far. She hoped she didn't screw everything up. Carmilla appeared back in the dorm. The night was still young but she didn't want to be out anymore so she took a seat by the window with a glass of blood and looked up at the stars. She drank leisurely, wondering why LaFontaine of all people offered to attain it for her. They were one of those mutts, but they really weren't that bad. They seemed to want to make peace at least.

Their friend, the skittish clean freak, wasn't a danger either. The puppy dog Zeta may be a hot head sometimes but even he was somewhat of a friend to Will since, 'bros stick together'. Heck, even JP got along with all of them, except maybe that was because he was just a proper and friendly being to begin with. These new additions were not the enemy, the unknown killers were, and it was about time they all put their differences aside, Carmilla and Danny especially. She knew this. She did. But it was just so hard. She sighed and drained the last of the blood from the glass before cleaning it out so that there wasn't a trace left. It wasn't that she didn't want Laura to know, because if anything she did. What she didn't want was for her to find out the way Elle did all those years ago. But at the same time, she was still afraid she would, so she hid what she could. She would come clean eventually, in her own time, but right now wasn't the time. She stood and glanced over at the small sleeping human.

She looked so fragile, so vulnerable. She had returned to Silas and now even she could end up as a target. Although Carmilla barely knew her she felt it was her duty to keep the human safe. She came first before the other students. She had watched her all last year and knew there was just something about her that was unique, yet she couldn't place it. Carmilla walked over to stand by Laura's bed. She bent over and retrieved the yellow pillow she had pushed off. She now slept at the edge with her arm hanging over the side. She was a messy sleeper and moved a lot it seemed. It was endearing. Carmilla found herself smiling a little, reaching out to brush away her hair from her face and then trace over her cheek gently. She took in her features with her head canted in interest. Her fingers must have been cold because soon Laura became aware of her touch, groaning and pawing at the disturbance but staying asleep. Carmilla's small smile grew slightly and she watched as Laura rolled over to then settle again.

Carmilla moved to return the pillow when the tiny girl's scent caught in her nose. It was sweet, like vanilla mixed with something floral. It was also addictive. Carmilla pressed the pillow to her nose and inhaled, almost groaning at the now stronger smell. She looked at Laura once more before tossing the pillow on her own bed. She stripped and found more comfortable clothes then slipped into bed, curling around the stolen yellow pillow. She simply stared at Laura, watching her sleep, but let her mind wander to the happier times in her existence, the times she spent with Elle who she missed so much despite the fact that her one true love thought her to be a heartless monster. They both paid dearly for their relationship. Carmilla couldn't let that happen again, but with Laura's scent in her nose, memories of the very passionate girl just being herself as Carmilla watched from afar, and now the same girl sleeping not too far away, it was hard to resist. She could only hope she had the willpower to stay away this time.


	3. Chapter 3

LaFontaine woke up early in the morning, way before any classes were to start. It was their morning routine to check the perimeter with one of their fellow pack members. Today they figured they would be with Kirsch since Danny was too busy hovering like a helicopter parent over Laura to do much else. They didn't really know why Danny felt so threatened by Carmilla and the other vampires. Yeah, they were creatures of the night that fed on the blood of humans, but really, they were the three least dangerous creatures of their kind right now. LaFontaine wasn't sure if it was all the time spent swapping theories with JP or their ability to befriend just about anything that interested them, but they truly felt they were dependable allies in all this. Even Laura was doing just fine sharing her space with Carmilla. She may complain almost every day about the messy and sarcastic vampire but underneath it all LaFontaine could see the way Laura truly thought about her. Which is why they didn't miss the chance to call her 'crushes-on-vampires' that one day they had visited. Laura had shied away but a smile came to her face even as she denied it.

It made LaFontaine chuckle but they dropped it so that Laura wasn't too uncomfortable. They got ready to go out but stopped when Perry demanded that they eat something. She fussed around the room, finicky yet caring as ever, but LaFontaine couldn't ever imagine a time without her. Danny may have been a native born wolf but LaFontaine and Kirsch came from different backgrounds. Kirsch was turned a few years back while LaFontaine was part of another pack who had disbanded when the village nearby started hunting them down. They were forced to split and scatter to find safety. Their parents were killed and they fled with Perry who they had known since they were a pup and had lost her parents too. Perry wasn't a wolf, but strangely, they got along, and their parents had allowed it. It wasn't like they could part them even if they wanted to. Normally it wouldn't have worked, but with them, it did, and it was a very special relationship that still held strong today. LaFontaine smiled at the memory of them playing tag and then looked over at Perry who was busy making a list at the desk.

They grinned and snuck over, abandoning the meager breakfast of toast that was supposed to mollify Perry, to dig their fingers in Perry's side, startling her. She yelped, and in a flash, she was a streak of auburn fur dashing for the space under the nearby bed. LaFontaine roared with laughter, trying to stop when the scared fox poked its head out from under cover. It crawled out and keened indignantly before snapping at LaFontaine's ankles in retaliation. They shook their head and then shifted into their wolf form, reddish brown fur with a white underbelly. The pale blue eyed fox jumped at the bigger canine and tugged at the notched left ear, doing little damage. The wolf tossed the slim fox off and pressed a paw to its belly, easily holding it down so that it could lick at its face. The fox made noises of irritation so the wolf let it go and it scampered away, hopping up on the bed before it morphed back into Perry. She whined and wiped at her face, shooting a glare at the wolf who shifted back as well, a big smile on LaF's face.

"Come on, that was funny," La Fontaine said, nudging her shoulder before sitting next to her. Perry crossed her arms with a frown that looked more like a pout.

"I don't see how it is. You know I still don't feel fully safe here with all these predators and my natural unease around dogs, yet you still do that," she scolded, turning away from her long-time friend. Being a kitsune, she had an aversion to dogs, and she pretty much carried herself in a rigid manner, controlling her instinctual urge to shift and hide any time something upset her. It was the reason she was always on edge around everyone unless she was alone with her childhood friend. With LaFontaine, she was able to slip into her fox form without having to hold it back. She didn't want anyone to know for the simple reason that she felt safer and more secure the less there were of people who knew her true form, that being LaFontaine. No one else knew. If anything, the pack knew she wasn't human because she smelled different, but because they never met another like her, they were at a loss. No one even brought it up, sensing that if she hadn't mentioned it herself then they shouldn't either, which Perry was more than thankful for. Like anything else that wasn't openly talked about for a reason, they respected and didn't ask.

"Perr, we've been friends for over a hundred plus years. You've seen me in both forms and I've seen you in both forms. Shouldn't you be over it already?" LaFontaine questioned.

"I suppose…but it's hard to discourage when you aren't a huge wolf capable of brute strength. Hiding or running or just staying out of danger is my only defense," she reasoned. LaF nodded and rubbed at her back, hoping to relax her tense frame. She was mostly high-strung, but sometimes there were moments when she would loosen up, and those moments were LaFontaine's favorite.

"Yeah, I know…hey, come with me on patrol. It would do wonders to just stretch out and run, you know, have some fun," LaF suggested. Perry looked worried for a moment, but when LaF gripped her shoulder with pleading baby blues and she caved.

"Oh alright, but I'm sticking to the underbrush," she finally agreed. LaFontaine smiled and pecked her on the cheek before jumping to their feet.

"Good enough! Now hurry up before it gets too late and Danny skins me alive for not being on time," they ordered. Perry stood to swiftly get ready and then the two left, shoulders brushing once in a while the whole way out until Kirsch met up with them.

"We got this big guy," LaF informed him.

"What?" he replied, nonplussed. He looked at Perry, wondering just what she was that LaF felt they could go alone with just her as back up. But the bio major was a strong wolf, if not as big as the others, but agile to make up for it. Whatever Perry was, he hoped it was enough.

"Ok then, good luck," he accepted with a nod, stopping while the two best friends carried on. He watched them until they were pretty far away and then doubled back to find Danny. She should at least be filled in. He let his senses branch out, seeing that Will was back at the Zeta house and JP was among the stacks of books in the library as always. Danny, however, was with Carmilla, feet from her dorm room where Laura was most likely still sleeping. It had been days since their hastily thrown together meeting agreeing on working together. He wondered if that was the topic of discussion or if it was about something else. He broke into a jog and was at the entrance to the building in minutes. He climbed the stairs and walked down the hall until he reached the two girls. Carmilla's lithe frame was tense and unmoving except for the minute displacement of her feet every so often. The image of a severely pissed off cat came to mind, tail swishing in irritation, eyes narrowed, and ears back. They must have been at a disagreement again because when he got closer he could see that his leader's teeth were sharp and her eyes flashed.

"Hey psycho society, I have news," he greeted. Danny lifted her gaze to him over Carmilla's head and her expression relaxed a little, waiting to hear what he had to say. Carmilla turned slightly to glance at him too.

"LaF and mother hen took patrol today so I'm free to do something else," he continued. Danny looked like she was angry for a second before she visibly forced herself to slow down, taking in a deep breath and then letting it out.

"Do you think we should keep letting them do this? I mean, we all know Perr is something but should we gamble that it's something that could be of any use? I mean, shouldn't we just ask her?" she wondered.

"She smells like dog. Practically the same as you two," the vampire butt in.

"Yeah, but it's different somehow. I just don't know what it is exactly," Danny pondered.

"Anyway, nice chat, but I have to get back," Carmilla said, pushing off the wall she had been leaning against to saunter down the hall to her room. Danny watched her go before looking to Kirsch.

"Get Will, then split up and see if you guys can sniff out a change in all the dorm buildings. When LaF gets back I'll need them and JP to share what they dug up, if they dug anything up," she informed him. He gave her a salute and then ran off. Danny took one last look at the door to room 307, shook her head, and then left in the opposite direction. She had her own snooping to do. Inside the room Carmilla was busy messing with Laura. She was on the bed, carefully hovering over the dozing human, tickling her nose with the tip of her finger. She snickered when Laura made a noise of displeasure and tried to sleepily bat away the offending thing assaulting her nose. Soon she woke up, unable to grasp anymore sleep, and that was when Carmilla returned her feet to the floor before resuming her activity.

"Carm, stop it," Laura mumbled, knowing it was her roommate. Carmilla felt a secret thrill when she heard the nickname the human gave her. It never got old. It made her feel that they were indeed coming to trust each other, gaining a type of unstable friendship, but a friendship none the less. She felt that it wouldn't last long, but she refused to let this one deteriorate. She couldn't allow it, not when this was the first time she was able to listen and react to someone who she didn't have to ultimately sacrifice. She had a habit to distance herself because of that routine, but now, now was different, and she didn't want to do anything to ruin it. She chuckled at Laura's grumpy and tired frown then laid down on her bed. Meanwhile, Laura checked the time to see she had been woken up a whole hour early. She groaned dishearteningly and fell over, burying herself in blankets. She fell still and then sat up quickly again, looking around. When she couldn't find what she was looking for she glanced at her roommate, knowing she had it.

"You stole my pillow again," she accused, getting up to stomp over and get it back. Carmilla stayed put, reclined on said pillow, arms crossed and waiting to see what measures Laura would take to get it back. The small statured girl first stood there glaring, likely contemplating how to go about retrieving it. She looked about ready to force the pillow out from under Carmilla when suddenly she just sighed and let her body sag.

"Please Carm," she begged, pouting. The vampire wasn't sure if it was a trick or plain honest begging, because Laura was doing an awfully good job of persuading her, but she wasn't going to give in no matter how adorable she looked. However, the sad expression was almost as strong as her own technique. Seduction eyes never failed, and it looked like this wouldn't either.

"Ugh, fine! Here, take the pillow already! I don't need it right now anyway," she growled, yanking the object out from under her and shoving it at the human while getting up. She brushed past her and out the door, Laura watching in surprise. That reaction was completely unexpected but just what she needed. She set her pillow down and fell on it, looking forward to a little more time to sleep, when she breathed in the scent on the material. It smelled like the blanket she used until it lost the smell, that being the smell of Carmilla. She blushed but buried her nose in the fabric, not embarrassed enough to deny indulging in it. She fell back asleep quickly and awoke to her alarm an hour later. She got up to see that Carmilla was still absent.

She readied herself for the day and then left, quickly heading to her first class. It would have been just another day if it hadn't been for the continued absence of the guy who usually sat next to her. She didn't particularly like the guy but it still caught her attention that he hadn't been attending class for a few days now. She also remembered seeing his girlfriend in the hall talking to her friend about how he was unresponsive to her calls or never there when she tried to see him at his dorm room. It was suspicious. Her old habit of documenting odd activity flared up in her again so that by the time she got back to her room at the end of the day she was busy preparing her computer for more videos. Carmilla came striding in, tossing aside her bag, and then sitting down at the end of her bed close to Laura.

"What's got your panties in a twist, sugar cube?" she inquired in that lazy drawl Laura hated to love.

"Nothing that concerns you," she mumbled back, too busy to even look at her. Carmilla's interest grew with the brush off.

"Which means it's important," she remarked.

"What?" Laura said, glancing at Carmilla as she turned on the computer.

"You automatically avoided my question which means you don't want to tell me and that means it's important," she explained. Laura scoffed and waved a dismissive hand at Carmilla.

"Sure, if that's what you think, but keep in mind, you're a philosophy major not a psychology major, ok?" Laura retorted.

"So the little bird has talons," Carmilla taunted, standing up to tower over Laura who looked up from her seat. She opened her mouth to ask what that was supposed to mean when Carmilla leaned closer and gripped at her shoulders.

"Don't forget, I have claws," she warned yet purred in the human's ear, sending a shiver down Laura's spine. Carmilla smirked at the reaction then returned to her bed, leaning back with an accomplished and smug air about her. Laura scowled and shook off the weird feeling that came over her, chanced a glance at her roommate, and then let out her held in breath. She debated whether she should share her concerns with Carmilla and decided the only way she would know if Carmilla even cared was to run it by her.

"I don't know if it's a coincidence or me being paranoid but there's this guy who sits next to me in my first class. He hasn't been attending for a while now. He could just be sick or ditched or…maybe something happened. I'm not sure, but I've seen him around a lot with his girlfriend and they seem close, except today I overheard her saying that he hasn't even tried to contact her even though she's tried countless times. Then in my later class a girl who sits in the front was missing and I wondered if it could be the same phenomenon but I guess I'll just have to wait and see. I feel like it's just me overthinking things but at the same time, what are the odds of something weirder happening? I mean, last year wasn't exactly normal so it's reasonable that since strange things happen at this school then it could be a logical guess that something could be going on, right?" Laura reasoned, rambling on and on while Carmilla listened with a mix of interest on the subject, amusement at Laura's rambling, and unease that Laura was getting herself into danger.

"Could be any one of those things creampuff, but I wouldn't worry too much. Plus, you're going to try documenting all this, get caught up in it, and then whine when you're behind in your classes. So my advice is drop it, because I really don't want to hear you complaining about late papers," Carmilla answered, relaxing into the mattress with her eyes closed. Laura spun around to properly level a glare at her before thinking about what she said. Her frown lessened and then slowly a small smile replaced it.

"Aww, are you concerned I'll run into trouble?" she teased, knowing it would strike a nerve in her broody roommate. Carmilla sat up, a scowl now on her fair features.

"As if. I just heard you get all twitchy and whiney when you're upset and I don't want to hear it. That's all," she defended.

"Uh huh, sure," Laura replied, moving to start recording her first of, what she hoped to be, many videos on the newest occurrences. As she did so she pondered if the others would help her keep an eye out for anything suspicious since Carmilla was obviously not being helpful. The vampire let out an irritated breath and jumped from the bed, stalking over to press the power button on the computer. She had no idea just what she was getting into, and if forcing her to stop would make her look bad, then Carmilla was willing to do it if it kept Laura safe from becoming a target for this unknown threat.

"Hey!" she exclaimed but Carmilla ignored her.

"What's your problem?" Laura continued, standing to confront her. The second Carmilla's dark eyes locked with hers she wavered but still stood under the intense stare.

"You'll thank me later cupcake," she muttered, moving to turn away, but Laura grabbed her by the arm to spin her back around. She didn't know where her suddenly bold confidence came from but she just rolled with it before she lost it.

"No, what's the deal, huh? Obviously there's a problem here and it doesn't have to do with your ridiculous excuse on how intolerant you are of me. So what's the real reason?" she demanded. Carmilla, mid-turn and looking back at the temporarily fierce human, fought with the truth. If she told Laura what was going on she would eventually have to tell her what she was, what her friends were, and that wasn't her place nor did she want Laura to know. Memories of how that could possibly turn out twisted at her long silent heart. That, and she was stupidly falling for yet another human and she couldn't bear to have Laura mixed up in all this.

Especially if whatever was killing off the students was clearly consuming humans. Something in her eyes must have caught Laura's attention because suddenly she wasn't angry, she was curious and a little shy once more. Carmilla was looking at her with a mix of emotions she hadn't ever seen on her face before. The energy between them sparked and neither knew who began to lean in, but before their lips could meet, the door flew open, startling them. Carmilla quickly jumped back, hoping it wasn't too fast of a movement, and Laura stepped back as well but stumbled over the chair behind her. Luckily she fell onto it, rolling across the wood floor with the momentum.

"Oh, um, pardon the intrusion but mother called and wanted to speak with you," JP said, holding up his phone while looking from Carmilla to Laura and back again. It was a stupid excuse but one Carmilla recognized. JP wasn't really good at these types of things. She let out what sounded like a growl and snatched the device from him. She only needed to meet his eyes for a second to know something had come up. He nodded a subtle signal. Carmilla put on an annoyed mask, covering the situation from Laura.

"Why didn't she just call me? What did you tell her now? I swear I'm not breaking any rules this time," she commented, gaining a disbelieving look from her brother.

"I have to take this. See you later sweetheart," she directed at Laura, following JP out as soon as the words left her mouth. Laura sat there, at a loss for words, wondering how the moment went from almost kissing Carmilla of all people to watching her walk out the door. She groaned and fell onto her bed, cursing her apparent crush. Meanwhile, Carmilla shut the door behind them and waited until they were down the hall to say anything, handing the device back to JP.

"What happened?" she asked under her voice, subconsciously following her brother of sorts.

"We found another victim. This one is intact. He spoke a little before the damage was too much so we've got a foggy description but a description none the less," he explained. Excitement ran through her at the prospect of having a lead. JP led her to the stairwell that would take them up to the roof. Once they came out the door at the top they joined Will and the pack.

"What did you find out?" Carmilla asked the group who turned when she approached.

"He said he couldn't remember much but he was sure it was a chick with dark brown hair, glowing green eyes, and an angular face. He said he had a class with her last semester and always wanted to talk to her. He didn't remember how he went from making out to, uh, well, being an inch from his life," Kirsch answered.

"Well that narrows it down considerably," she stated sarcastically.

"Yeah, how many people have glowing eyes?" LaF responded seriously. Carmilla shot them an agitated glare.

"Hey, at least we have something," Danny intervened before her snark could soar to higher levels. Carmilla forced herself to remain calm.

"We actually narrowed it down. Look at it like this, yes, there are a lot of brunettes with green eyes and an angular face at this school, but how many are there in the classes he had? With a little snooping of the computer archives we can look up what classes he had, find the roster, and then have maybe half a class worth of faces to worry about. We look up their names, question them, and go from there," LaFontaine pointed out.

"That might actually work. I can hack into the files," JP added. The others looked to Carmilla who hid the impressed expression that only lasted a second on her face.

"Not bad. So I'm guessing you'll be tagging along for back up? The other two are far too…noticeable for sneaking," Carmilla replied, scanning over the two tallest members of the group. LaF nodded, excited to finally get to the adventuring portion of their plan while both Danny and Kirsch looked offended.

"Just saying it as it is," she went on, smirking at them.

"By the way, the building across from your room smells suspicious. I might be wrong, but there was a bad smell coming from the halls. I just couldn't tell which room it was. It was too strong to pinpoint," Will spoke up.

"Are you sure someone from the Alchemy Club didn't just have a faulty experiment that went wrong, 'cause that happens," LaFontaine responded.

"No, I felt the energy too. It was bad," Will replied with a shake of his head and a serious expression.

"Have we come across it before?" Carmilla questioned him.

"No, it was foreign," he answered. Carmilla pushed a hand through her hair but nodded.

"Anything else?" she asked the group.

"You didn't pick up on anything?" Danny inquired of her.

"No, why?" she replied.

"Just asking," Danny said, looking away. Carmilla stared at her a moment longer, feeling like there was an unasked question but letting it drop. They didn't need another inevitable fight wasting their time. They split up shortly after that, returning to wherever they needed to be. Carmilla found herself walking back to her room with Will who looked like he had a few things to say that she knew she wasn't looking forward to.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to the one guest who reviewed. It's much appreciated.**

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><p>Carmilla ignored Will by keeping her gaze straight ahead and denying him her attention as long as possible before resigning to her fate. She waited for him to ask first though. She wouldn't be the one to broach the subject she had no desire to address in the first place. They were almost back to Carmilla's dorm when they stopped to sit at a stone bench outside. It was already dark and most of the students weren't wandering the campus anymore, but just in case, they both took a look around before saying anything.<p>

"Are you seriously too invested in little Laura to help us out kitten?" he questioned, teasing her a little bit for sport as he was always inclined to do.

"I'm just making sure she doesn't get herself mixed up in all this and end up dead," she replied, blunt.

"So you're protecting her? That seems a little unfair. If that's the case then how come the rest of the school doesn't get the same treatment?" he wondered.

"She's friends with those dogs. She means something to them," she reminded him.

"Then let **them** protect her. I know Danny would gladly fill the role," he stated, eyeing Carmilla.

"I'm doing them a favor for agreeing to work with us," she mumbled, looking down. He smirked knowingly.

"Do you honestly believe that crap?" he asked her. He could see her jaw clench before she sighed.

"What does it matter?" she whispered.

"It doesn't matter at all to me, but maybe you should be a little more careful. You wouldn't want another Elle now, would you?" he replied. Carmilla's posture went stiff at the mention of her long dead ex.

"No, I wouldn't," she said, almost inaudible, but Will heard it clearly.

"Then let Danny handle it. There's no need to make attachments to a human that we'll pass in a mere fifty or so years from now. Don't do that to yourself," he told her. If Carmilla didn't know better she would have thought that Will had gone soft on her. She chuckled and looked over at him.

"Is that a note of concern Willy boy? How touching," she drawled, smirking back at him while he frowned.

"Laugh it up kitty, but I'm serious. When you're love struck you make mistakes, and at a time like this, we can't afford any," he warned, his tone slightly sharp. Carmilla's face hardened into a blank mask, knowing he was right. She couldn't get close to Laura. She knew this, but it was one thing to say it and a whole other matter to follow through with it.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks for the pep talk dear brother," she murmured, quick to stand and walk away. Will stood where he was, watching her walk down the hall, before heading for the Zeta house. He couldn't boast that he knew everything about his somewhat sister, but he did know her well enough to tell when something was distracting her. He glanced back at the building, shaking his head, and then looked around before taking off at vampire speed. Carmilla entered the room to see Laura finishing up a video. She rolled her eyes but made a mental note to destroy any trace of it. She refused to let the incompetent human make herself into a target. She just got ready to look like she was settling in for the night and then waited for Laura to do the same, saying nothing and getting nothing from her in return. Once she was sure Laura was asleep, her slow breaths and steady heartbeat an indicator; she began taking down the video as well as erasing its existence in the computer. After that was taken care of she got dressed again and headed out to restock on more blood. She was running low.

The following month held no surprises. There were a few more victims but no new leads. JP managed to obtain the information they were looking for so now they had five girls who they had to interview. It was easier said than done as they had to get it without suspicion. Whoever the killer was, they were cautious. Their cover would be blown if they were found out and then no one knew what might happen after that. During this time Carmilla spent her time oscillating between fighting with Laura at every moment to keep the girl angry at her, and catching herself doing the odd favor for her whether she was asked or not. It did nothing but frustrate them both. Laura didn't know if she was being bullied because Carmilla liked her, or she was simply trying to make up for being the roommate from hell by being nice to her. Either way, she just wanted to know what was going on yet she was unsure if she should just ask. Perry and LaFontaine hung around most days and weren't blind to all this. LaF teased Laura, and sometimes Carmilla, while Perry tried to keep things peaceful between them by offering advice.

Danny was not happy with any of it, particularly with Laura getting along with the vampire. She strived to gain her attention where she could, taking Laura out to eat or spending the day in her room so that Carmilla was forced to leave. She wasn't too keen on seeing Danny that much. She only dealt with her when necessary, like their meetings held in various places at night designed to keep them all on the same page. Other than that, she wasn't obligated to spend any time around the ginger giant, so she didn't, even when Laura insisted that she should. She flat out refused every time, to Danny's delight. To keep herself occupied she volunteered to search out the building of the guy they had gotten information from. It turned out that it was the same building Will suspected of something. He offered to accompany her but she declined, needing to do this on her own and give her something else to think about besides Laura and her increasing time spent with Danny. They still had two more girls to talk to, the previous three having been lightly interrogated by Will, LaFontaine, and Kirsch respectively.

None raised any flags so Carmilla was determined to pin down which room contained the strange scent that now clouded her nose as she made her way down the hall of the second floor. Her senses branched out, listening to varying conversations in each room she passed. She had just passed one she was better off not listening in on, when the low hanging strange smell became a notch stronger. She raised her nose as her eyes flicked all over the hall. She caught sight of a girl with golden blonde tresses turning to take the stairs down to the first floor. She was the only one around at the moment so Carmilla wasted no time running after her. When she got to the stairs she stared down them to see no one. She carefully made her way down but was yanked back into an alcove the second she took the last step off the stairs. She was pinned against the wall and a firm body followed to press to hers. Bright bluish grey eyes met hers and she swore she thought she saw slits for pupils, but after blinking they were gone.

"Well if it isn't Carmilla Karnstein. What are you doing all the way over here, so far from home?" she purred, gripping at the collar of Carmilla's opened flannel button up and then sliding down, the edges passing between her thumb and index fingers to then grip again, resting her hands against Carmilla's stomach. Carmilla made note of their lack of warmth, which was disconcerting. It hadn't been a particularly cold day so they should be a little warm. Laura's hands were always warm. She pulled away from such thoughts to concentrate. What was the question?

"You know, I've been to this school for such a short time and never bothered to take a look around so I thought, why not ditch a boring lecture and see what the rest of the campus looks like?" she replied smoothly, her default lazy smirk in place. The classic beauty bit at her full lips and then giggled, shaking her head.

"What a horrible lie Karnstein," she whispered, her hands leaving the flannel to smooth down her toned torso. Carmilla grit her teeth, feeling desire practically tie her down. What was this girl doing to her? She fought to stay focused.

"Why would I lie?" she husked out.

"Maybe you're hiding something? It's well-known on campus that trusting you is a mistake waiting to happen," she replied pointedly.

"Maybe **you're** hiding something too?" Carmilla countered. It was the blonde's turn to smirk. She leaned closer to place a chilling kiss to the vampire's defined jaw.

"Maybe I am," she whispered in Carmilla's ear. Her voice sent shudders down her body, which weren't exactly good, but the spell she had over her kept her from moving away. She began kissing down Carmilla's neck, turning them into nips once she reached the sensitive juncture of her neck and shoulder. Carmilla couldn't hold back the quiet groan that slipped past her lips, her fangs sliding out with the pleasure that coursed through her. It seemed forced though, like it was artificial and not her own, which made it all the more binding. Her head fell back against the wall and then she went rigid when she felt a sharp point grace her flesh. The blonde chuckled darkly, knowing she felt it.

"Who are you? **What** are you?" Carmilla ground out, teeth clenched and fangs now bared. No matter how much she wanted to attack, her body wouldn't listen.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she hissed, pulling back to showcase long fangs and slit pupils. Carmilla forced herself to lunge at her but she struck first, catching Carmilla's hands by the wrists to slam her back against the wall, her fangs sinking deep in her neck. She cried out at the fiery sensation burning through her veins, weakening her. She was well aware that she was being fed on as well as poisoned. Something slithered up her right leg to curl around her torso, pinning her arms to her sides, and then ran up under her chin. The end of it brushed at her cheek and she felt smooth scales. When the blonde pulled away this time Carmilla took in the addition of a light pattern of scales on the sides of her face. Her hands had sharp nails and from her waist down was a powerful snake body, which was currently wrapped around her, bearing the markings of a fer-de-lance viper.

"Y-you're a lamia," Carmilla forced out, her body flagging with the loss of blood, the toxins running rampant in her in exchange, and now the crushing force slowly being exerted from the coils surrounding her.

"Good guess," she commended, her voice almost a hiss in itself.

"What do you think you'll get out of ending me you wretched serpent?" the vampire snarled to the best of her ability. The lamia squeezed a bit harder and Carmilla felt as well as heard her ribs crack from the force. She cringed, but showed no other sign of her pain.

"You were sticking your nose in things you have no business with, and to keep you from interfering, I'll happily dispose of you," she replied, baring her teeth and letting out a threatening hiss. Carmilla growled low but flinched again when the pressure increased and her left arm gave in at the wrist, snapping. The lamia laughed at her pain, too engrossed in her slowly suffering victim to notice the arrival of another vampire. Will came running down the hall at breakneck speed, a murderous scowl on his face, before he leaped and shifted into a puma. Carmilla grinned at his appearance, making the lamia hesitate.

"We'll skin you alive. You and anyone else associated with you," she promised, right before the growling puma slammed into her, sending them both through the glass door nearby. The coils slipped from Carmilla's body in the process and she collapsed to floor. There was an enraged hiss and a growl from the big cat before the lamia escaped. Everything fell quiet and Will stepped back inside with nothing more than four scratches to his forearm to go to her side. She was having trouble getting to her feet until he wrapped an arm around her middle to better support her against him.

"I can barely move. She did something to me," Carmilla explained, attempting to take a step, but her legs gave. Will caught her and then scooped her into his arms.

"Yeah, no kidding, she practically squeezed you senseless," he commented, noticing the slowly fading bruises at her arms and neck. There were probably more on her leg and torso.

"No, her venom causes paralysis," she gasped out, starting to lose consciousness. She was paler than normal and Will didn't like the way she was limp in his arms.

"Hey, stay with me kitten. You need to stay awake so we can get some blood in you," he called to her. She forced her eyes to remain open and smirked tiredly at him.

"You do care," she remarked, managing to poke fun at him even in her half-conscious state.

"Yeah, sadly," he replied, yet his tone conveyed relief and concern under the carelessness. She chuckled and shook her head slowly. He took her to the Zeta house, running at vampire speed to get to his room without the others noticing he had the moody hottie in hand. He wouldn't hear the end of questions from hopefuls wanting to try their luck at getting with Carmilla. Once inside he shut the door and laid her on his bed. He dug through his hidden stash of blood in the mini fridge in the corner then returned to sit next to her. After finishing the container she became more lucid and was able to move a little more. He made sure her wrist was snapped back into place so that the healing process mended it correctly. If not, he would have to break it again in order to set it right so it might as well be done correctly the first time. She gasped at the sudden pain but gave him a grateful crooked smile.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked, watching the visible bruises fading away.

"Less like crap. I don't feel as numb anymore but I think I'll need a little more blood to finish healing my ribs," she mumbled.

"Fresh blood will work faster. How about I pick out an honorary bro and then you can be on your way?" he suggested jokingly. She rolled her eyes but nodded. He stood to leave and then came back quickly with a guy who looked asleep on his feet.

"Poor guy is still recovering from a hangover. He won't even know what hit him," he said, pushing the Zeta to sit at the end of the bed. Carmilla stiltedly climbed to her feet and then balanced herself by holding on to the guy's broad shoulders.

"Man, Will, when can I go back to sleep bro?" he asked, his eyes falling shut.

"Right now bro," he replied brightly.

"Cool," the guy said with a nod before Carmilla leaned down to sink her teeth in his neck. He gasped and raised his hands to fend her off, but the moment the blood washed over her tongue, she was drinking greedily from him. It was hard stopping but she pulled away in time and he slumped over, passed out. She wiped at her chin to make sure there was no blood and then tested out her joints as well as ribs.

"Feel better now?" Will questioned.

"Very, but I can't believe I had to be saved by you," she griped, shooting him a light glare. He grinned and crossed his arms, a cocky stance she disliked but he deserved at the moment.

"Wow, thanks for the gratitude," he responded sardonically. She punched his arm in response and noticed his now healed injury, secretly glad that he would be fine.

"I'm heading out. It's getting late and I still have to look like I'm your average overworked college student, dirt tired, and ready to sleep," she jested. Will liked seeing this hidden side to her, even though he wouldn't admit it. For them, retaining small traces of who they really were showed that the hand they were dealt hadn't destroyed them completely.

"Ok. Don't run into anymore enemies along the way. I won't come bust you out again," he warned, yet his light brown eyes held humor. She nodded and turned to the window. She pushed it open and then jumped out, breaking into a run that turned her into a blur across campus. She got back to her dorm room just in time to see Laura pace back to the chair at the desk. She had been angry when she found out her first video, as well as any she tried to make after that, kept disappearing and she figured Carmilla was behind it. They stopped talking when she gave Carmilla the cold shoulder but the vampire didn't care, or, she told herself that she didn't.

At least this way she fulfilled Laura disliking her as well as keeping her out of trouble. But when Laura returned to the room, ready to continue glaring at the insufferable girl sharing half the room, she found that Carmilla wasn't even there. That wasn't unusual so she wrote it off. It was hours later when she didn't return that she began to feel some worry. The girl may drive her nuts but Laura wasn't the type of person to wish anything bad on someone she didn't like. The worse she ever thought of someone was the time a bully back in elementary pushed her and she hoped he tripped in front of everyone. Lame, yes, but she wasn't a vindictive person. And now here she was, looking a little run down, but she was fine.

"You made me worry about you! You-you irritating, stupid, broody…" Laura began to rant, upset and frazzled. Carmilla sensed a full on wave of words in Laura's classic rambling style so she sought to remedy the problem in a way enjoyable to them both. She smiled at the small girl still calling her names that didn't reach anywhere past a PG rating and then stepped forward to cup her face in her hands, leaning in to press their lips together. Laura froze, eyes wide and totally caught off guard. She didn't see this coming at all. Carmilla felt like she had been waiting years to kiss Laura. She pulled back to gauge her reaction, only to get more ranting that wasn't as vehement as before since Laura was flustered. Carmilla smirked in amusement before silencing her again.

This time she responded, their lips meeting again and again until Carmilla deepened it, drawing out a soft sound from the human. Carmilla pulled away then, feeling her body's instinctual reaction start to take hold. Laura was breathing shallowly but grinning like Christmas had come early. Her eyes shone with happiness. It was only then did Carmilla realize just how much Laura liked her. She always thought she favored Danny. She thought she successful drove Laura away. But she thought wrong apparently, and so did Laura. She thought Carmilla couldn't stand her, but it was the complete opposite. In Carmilla's defense, she couldn't stand being so close to Laura and not having her. That was what drove her nuts, and seeing her with Danny didn't help. She knew the wolf liked her, and they were the perfect pair, but it just wasn't meant to be.

"Whoa, uh, well, I didn't really see that coming," Laura admitted, a blush coloring her cheeks. Carmilla smiled and leaned further into her. During the kiss, Laura had pulled her closer, wrapping her securely in her warm embrace. She returned it, holding Laura with the utmost care. She kissed the human's cheek and watched, fascinated, as she began to blush a little more at the affection. Carmilla chuckled then pulled Laura over to sit on her bed. The next step to gain Laura's trust had to be done. She was afraid of the outcome. She didn't want it to end horribly, but if Laura liked her and wanted to have anything to do with her, she deserved to know what she was getting herself into. It was only fair, even if the price of that was a broken heart.

"Laura, I'm…I have to tell you something," she muttered, raising a hand to stroke Laura's cheek, marveling at the chance to brush her fingers over the human's warm skin. Depending on how this went she may never be able to again. The thought alone hurt, but at least she was able to steal a kiss.

"What is it?" Laura responded, her brows furrowing in a mix of curiosity and anxiety. Carmilla looked absolutely unsure of herself. She put distance between them before continuing, just in case. Laura didn't miss the removal, and that anxious feeling increased. She could detect the conflict in Carmilla's voice, see the desperation in her dark eyes, and suddenly, she just wanted her to relax, for both their sakes. Whatever it was could wait for tomorrow so she scooted closer and took Carmilla's hand in her own.

"Stop. It can wait. Can we please just…get some sleep?" she proposed. Carmilla stared at her, not knowing how to reply at first, but then she nodded.

"Yeah," she agreed. Laura offered her one of her sweet smiles, stood, pressed a kiss to her temple, and then walked away to get ready for bed. It looked like a crappy day after she had been attacked, but now it was looking a little better.


	5. Chapter 5

While Laura was in the bathroom, Carmilla got dressed. She then made sure Laura hadn't uploaded anything while she was gone. There was nothing. She came back out from the bathroom and Carmilla stepped away from the computer, eyes on her. Laura haphazardly tossed her clothes on her bed, acquiring a raised brow from her roommate.

"What? Am I not allowed to leave clothes out?" she asked, a note in her voice that Carmilla felt may just be joking. She chuckled and took a step closer.

"No, that's my job. You clean, remember?" she whispered, placing her hands on Laura's upper arms, rubbing her thumbs across her bare skin. Laura in those baggy pajama pants and tank top was going to be the end of her. Laura felt the same about Carmilla in her choice of pajamas; a snug, midriff revealing, shirt and shorts. The girl barely wore anything yet was never cold. It also gave Laura a good look at the expanse of smooth alabaster skin. Goosebumps rose under Carmilla's touch and she smirked, causing Laura to avert her eyes from the sexy expression.

"Yeah, I know," she answered, breathless. Carmilla ran her hands down Laura's arms to take her by the hands. She pulled her towards her bed and then sat down. She released Laura so that she could move further across the bed, allowing Laura room to join her.

"I'll behave myself. I promise," Carmilla told her, holding out her pinky with a small smile. The way she said it made Laura think of the exact thing she shouldn't have been thinking about. She blushed, chasing the inappropriate thoughts away and linking her pinky with Carmilla's. She returned the smile and Carmilla laced their fingers together so that she could pull Laura forward. She fell into the bed, almost on top of Carmilla, but quickly rearranged herself while Carmilla just smirked and threw the blanket over them. Laura got comfortable, facing the other way, looking at her empty bed and not believing reality, when Carmilla's arm draped over her. She splayed her hand over her stomach and pulled, bringing Laura's back flush against her front. She tensed up at first, not knowing how to react, but then Carmilla began rubbing up and down her side, easing her restricted muscles. She nuzzled close to the back of her neck, placing a kiss there that made Laura sigh.

"I don't mean to kill the mood and possibly upset you, but, do you remember the reason you started making those videos?" she questioned, her voice a whisper, her breath caressing the skin of Laura's neck.

"Yeah, that guy went missing, and then two other students from my other classes did too. That's why I tried even harder to make more," she replied, rightly frustrated. Carmilla rubbed at her side once more, hoping to calm her.

"I'm sorry I kept deleting them, but it was to keep you safe. If it's true…if someone really is kidnapping or even killing these students, I didn't want you to be their next victim. I thought that if they realized you were on to them they would come for you too so I destroyed any evidence that could catch their attention," Carmilla confessed, hoping she was forgiven.

"Why didn't you just tell me that?" Laura inquired after a few seconds of silence.

"I had a small suspicion you wouldn't have listened. You came off as the type to lay your life on the line for the safety of others and dive headfirst into it, so to avoid that inevitable disobedience I took matters into my own hands," Carmilla replied perceptively. Laura smiled sheepishly, aware that was something she was guilty of doing.

"You'd be right," she agreed.

"I know," Carmilla responded, confident. Laura rolled her eyes and Carmilla laughed, tightening her hold. Laura intertwined their fingers, squeezing once and bringing a genuine smile to the vampire's face.

"You are aware my dad signed me up for a full crash course in Krav Maga, right?" she remarked. Carmilla sighed and rested her forehead between Laura's shoulder blades. She laughed without humor and closed her eyes.

"I don't think that would be nearly enough to keep you safe," she commented, her voice forlorn yet muffled. Laura's brows rose with interest.

"How do you know that?" she questioned. Carmilla fell silent, the minutes dragging on to the point that Laura thought she might have fallen asleep, but she remained patient, hoping she hadn't. She was correct, because Carmilla propped herself up on her elbow and loosened her hand from Laura's, bringing her arm to rest on her side. Laura shifted onto her back so that Carmilla now looked down at her.

"It's a need to know, cutie, part of what I wanted to tell you," she answered, a hint of sadness in her gaze. She looked conflicted once more so Laura reached up and placed her hand at the nape of Carmilla's neck to pull her down for a scorching kiss, effectively distracting Carmilla from her worries. She groaned into Laura's mouth when her tongue slid against her own. Her hand slipped under the blankets to find Laura's stomach and push up her top, wanting to feel her soft, warm, skin. She could also feel the flex of muscles under her hand in reaction to her touch. She dragged it up and then back down to grip at Laura's hip. The kiss ended naturally, leaving both satisfied. Laura's hand remained where it was though, her other lifting to brush aside Carmilla's bangs then resting on her cheek.

"Then that can wait for tomorrow too," she decided. Carmilla nodded and Laura let her go so that she could lay back down. This time Laura rolled over so that she could curl against Carmilla. They held each other, and for the first time, Carmilla wasn't afraid to sleep. She knew her dreams would be devoid of nightmare with Laura so close. It was also a first to go to sleep so early, but she was too comfortable to leave the bed, even when Laura fell asleep, which she did minutes later. Carmilla stayed up a half hour more before she could coax herself to sleep. She didn't remember any dreams when she woke up early the next morning. There were no classes today for either of them so there really wasn't any rush to go anywhere. She looked forward to spending the time with Laura, even if it meant filling her in on what was happening. She stretched out, not expecting to have so much room, but then she realized why. In a flash she was awake, seeing the empty spot next to her.

"Laura?" she called, throwing back the blankets to jump out of bed. She was seconds from shifting into her black panther form, so that her heightened senses could track her down, but there was no need because Laura came out of the bathroom a moment later. She stopped in her tracks when she noticed the wired yet tense way Carmilla's posture was. Her eyes had brightened to an almost amber color, unless it was just a trick of the light, while her lips were set in a snarl. She promptly dropped the alarmed stance in her relief and fell into her devil may care one, a cocked hip, relaxed posture, and a smirk that Laura never failed to appreciate. LaFontaine had called that intense look she currently wore 'seduction eyes' and teased Laura endlessly of her weakness against it. She had to admit, it was completely unfair. Little did she know Carmilla felt the same about her pout or the way she bit her lip when she was uncertain about something, which was right about now. She didn't know how to go about greeting her clearly more-than-friends roommate. What were they now? Carmilla's eyes dropped to her worried bottom lip. Laura's teeth pressed into the soft skin and Carmilla wanted to replace them with her own teeth.

She slowly advanced while Laura stayed where she was, frozen in place. Carmilla's hands met Laura's hips, pulling her closer, and then dipped down to mold their lips together hungrily. Laura gasped at the passion and Carmilla took advantage to slip her tongue into Laura's mouth. Carmilla, needing more, backed Laura into the desk, halting her from going any farther and allowing their hips to press together. Laura's moan at the contact tore a growl from Carmilla's throat. Her hands dragged over Laura, one pulling her ever closer at the same time that she pressed forward while the other briefly traveled over her behind to the back of her thigh. Laura automatically lifted her leg and hooked it around the back of Carmilla's, breaking the kiss when Carmilla pressed into her just right, her hand gripping at Laura's raised thigh. Her mouth parted in another moan, her back arching so that her head tilted back. Her skin was flushed and her pulse was prominent at her neck. It usually wasn't noticeable unless Laura was angry and halfway through a rant. It would pucker and Carmilla would become deaf to her words with the shift of her attention. It never failed to make Laura angrier for not listening.

Carmilla's sharp gaze found it again quickly, and then her mouth was latched over it. Her currently blunt teeth nipped before she sucked on the abused, sensitive flesh. Laura's breath hitched and her fingers gripped at Carmilla's back. Carmilla could smell her blood rushing under the surface. It was so close she could practically taste it. She wanted to, so bad. It wouldn't be the first time she wondered how Laura would taste. Her fangs ached to break skin but her control was refined. She licked at the bruised skin apologetically to sooth it then kissed her way back to Laura's lips. This kiss was languid and ended sweetly. Carmilla rested her forehead against Laura's, overwhelmed in how she smelled at the moment. Her mouth watered and she swallowed before leaning back to meet Laura's hazy chocolate colored eyes staring back at her. She could feel the unmistakable heat against the thigh wedged between Laura's legs. Her own arousal curled in her gut. Laura's fingers ran down her back, stopping at her waist, to push softly at her. She complied, giving the human space. She was uncomfortably turned on, her fangs having descended around the time she was traveling over Laura's neck. She was sure Laura felt the same way.

"I'm sorry. I got a little…carried away," she apologized, not at all meaning to jump her like she had. She may be blunt and forward about what she wanted, but when it came to someone she cared about, like Laura, she reverted to using her more sincere and gentlewomanly attributes. She ceased all contact with her and carefully extracted herself to step back, a hand running through her hair.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too," Laura responded with a nod, looking at the ground. It wasn't awkward, just tense in a sexually charged sort of way. There was no anger or regret present, just a need that both adamantly forced down.

"I'm going to take a shower," Carmilla muttered. A cold shower, hoping it would help. She swiftly entered the bathroom and shut the door, leaning against it. She had never felt this level of desire before. Laura quickly sat down on her own bed and held her burning face in her hands. How could she just-and Carmilla was so…

"Oh man," Laura sighed, falling over on her bed. Eventually she curled up on it, facing the wall, and fell back asleep. When Carmilla came out she found her there. She looked endearing and tranquil when she slept. She got dressed and returned to her own bed, easily falling asleep since this was nowhere close to when she would normally wake up. So with both knocked out, neither was aware that half the day had passed them by until Danny sent LaFontaine to retrieve Carmilla for an additional patrol. As much as she trusted Perry, she just wasn't cut out for a fight should one happen. She could easily get hurt or LaF could get distracted protecting her, and if LaF was injured the best she could do was run for help, so there was now a need for a proper partner while the others were busy. Which was why LaFontaine was now standing in Room 307, looking from one bed to the other with an amused grin, their nose having picked up some form of shenanigans that happened some time recently. They were just about to wake Carmilla when she groggily did so on her own.

"What do you want?" she grumbled tiredly, a frown in place.

"Hey grumpy, rise and shine," LaF greeted.

"No," the vampire responded, falling back down. LaFontaine's grin widened as they sat down heavily on Carmilla's bed, narrowly missing sitting on her feet. She growled and sat up to shoot them a scowl.

"You are to accompany me on patrol," they announced.

"Wasn't there already one this morning?" Carmilla pointed out.

"Danny wants another," LaFontaine responded. Carmilla rolled her eyes.

"Again, no," she refused.

"You have to. There's no one else," LaF replied.

"What about Kirsch?" she questioned.

"He's assigned to look into a new lead," they answered.

"A new lead?" Carmilla reiterated, interested.

"Yeah, so it turns out that lamia chick was spotted again talking to this short red head not too long before we busted her. Kirsch said he remembered what she looked like so now they sent him to make sure this new chick isn't a possible…something," LaFontaine explained.

"Huh," Carmilla said under her breath.

"You would have been updated if you searched us out last night but it seems you were a little too busy," LaF teased, bright eyes flicking over to Laura. Carmilla looked at the still sleeping girl with a small smile before it curved into a frown she directed at the playful wolf.

"Moving on. So then what about big red?" she inquired, looking to change the subject. She couldn't lie to someone who had the senses to call her bluff so she didn't even bother.

"Danny went to better check out the building you were attacked in. Remember how Will said he picked up on a strange smell before?" LaF began.

"Yeah, I smelled it too. I'm guessing that was just the lamia," she responded.

"It was, but then Danny stopped by and was able to pick up on others. They were all mixed in so at first she had a hard time, but then she managed to pick it apart and said for sure there were three different strange smells that had passed through there. It's the reason it reeks in that whole building," LaFontaine continued.

"Makes sense. So then at least we know the general location. We just have to find the rooms," the vampire pointed out. LaF nodded.

"JP is on that now. He's gathering the names of everyone living there. Then he's going to at least find the name of the lamia and also have Kirsch identify this redhead to see if she lives there too. There's still one other, the brunette that the guy had mentioned. She's been hidden so well I think she may be the ringleader," they hypothesized.

"And Will?" Carmilla questioned next. LaFontaine shrugged.

"We actually don't know where he is but hopefully he's on to something. Besides you, he didn't show up at the meeting either," they replied. Carmilla didn't like the sound of that but there was nothing she could do.

"Anyway, we pretty much have a path to tread now. I feel confident we can stop this," LaF stated, strength in their tone and excitement in their eyes.

"Yeah, now all we have to do is make sure we know our targets so that we can fight back," Carmilla agreed. LaFontaine stood and gestured for her to do the same.

"Ok, now that you're all caught up, how about a jaunt around campus?" they suggested. Carmilla made a sound of protest but got up. She quickly threw something on while LaF waited outside. Before leaving, she stopped by Laura's bed, leaning down to place a gentle kiss to her head. She brushed her cheek with the back of her hand and then rushed out the door. If she stayed any longer she wouldn't leave. She followed LaFontaine outside, heading straight for the border of campus close to the line of trees marking the edge of the forest. While mostly everyone was tasked with a job to do, Kirsch felt his was the necessary next step to putting a face to one more of the mysterious killers. Danny may be tracking something that probably wasn't human.

But as they knew, not all creatures were killers. Whatever she was sniffing out wasn't guaranteed to be something dangerous or even part of the suspected murderers. This newest hottie with fiery red hair was suspicious though, and it was his job to find out. He luckily saw her earlier in the day and tracked her down ever since. She led him to an area off to the side of the giant library where he tactfully moved in so that he could corner her. The weird thing was, she didn't look at all surprised that he was there and actually waited for him to approach. He felt on edge. He was planning to trap her, but why was it that he felt like the one who was being trapped? He swallowed and then approached her, body tense and ready to react.

"Hey little hottie. It's not safe to wander around alone you know. Can I be your broscort and walk you back to your dorm?" he advised, hoping to at least pinpoint where her room was if he didn't get evidence on anything else.

"How kind of you, but I'm ok. Thanks for asking," she declined, her voice high but still enjoyable, bringing a small subconscious smile to Kirsch's face.

"You sure? I'd hate to find out that something happened to you when I could have been there to help," he asked, making sure. She grinned, a pretty one that wasn't big but graced her lips just right. She walked over, a noticeable stiffness to her stride, yet swift and sure despite that. Kirsch caught on to the movement but remained nonchalant. The girl finally reached him, tripping a little, and resting her small hand on his bicep for balance. He reached out to further support her, a kind smile in place. He felt like he needed to do whatever he could to help her.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I just have trouble with my leg once in a while," she confessed, rubbing at her left leg as if it pained her.

"Oh, are you injured?" he inquired, ready to carry her to a resting place if needed. He was so caught up in a damsel in distress he forgot that this particular damsel may not be in distress.

"A long time ago I was, and now I have to manage a prosthetic," she revealed. Kirsch had heard of those. He hadn't ever met anyone with missing limbs but it looked like he had now.

"Oh," he mumbled, his light teal colored eyes worried for her.

"Could you maybe…? No, that's rude of me," she began but stopped midsentence to chastise herself.

"What is it?" he inquired, quick to offer help.

"Could you carry me to that bench over there? I need to get off my feet for a bit," she requested. He looked to where she pointed, seeing the bench in question under the walkway bridging the library and the building of classrooms next to it.

"No problem," he replied, nodding and carefully gathering her in his arms. He set her down on the bench then sat down next to her.

"I've seen you around before. You're a Zeta, correct?" she began, reaching out to hold his hand while her deep blue eyes bored into his.

"Um, yeah," he responded none too brightly. There was something about her he couldn't ignore but he just wasn't able to place it.

"I always admired you. A strong guy, protecting the female student body from danger. If you hadn't already been taken by such an equally strong girl I would have asked you out," she told him, shy. He blinked a few times, shocked at what she said as well as what she implied.

"No! She and I are **not** together!" he emphasized, needing her to understand even though now should have been the time to stand behind Danny. He had looked up to her for some time, and the more he spent time with her, the more that respect and admiration turned to attraction. But his pack leader rarely saw anything past the small human she harbored feelings for. He would never be seen as anything more to her.

"Oh good. I didn't want to jeopardize anything you might have had with her," she whispered, leaning in close.

"Like what?" he wondered, eyes locked with hers.

"Like a relationship, trust, or maybe…loyalty," she explained, a mischievous quality to her voice. It was almost ominous. He was about to pull back but she quickly caught his lips with her own, reeling him in. Her hand ran up his arm to cup his face while the other gripped his shoulder. In the haze he had been placed in he heard a dull sound of metal hitting wood, then the girl was in his lap, straddling him. His hands seemed to magnetize to her waist, gripping tightly when her kisses turned searing. She kissed his cheek then his jaw before nipping at his ear.

"'There's sore decline in Adam's line if this be spawn of Earth.' As much as no one wants to end up like poor Tomlinson, I believe with enough persuasion, you may just escape following in his footsteps after all," she murmured seductively, her lips now dropping to his neck. He had learned the hard way not to mess with chicks by now. Carmilla even bit him at one point to make him leave her alone, so an old seated anxiety began to rise when he felt teeth at his shoulder. They were blunt at first, but then in a second they were sharp knives tearing at him. He yelped and tried to get loose but she was surprisingly strong, holding him down and feasting on his blood, on his flesh, aiming to hit bone. He had to get her off or he would be eaten alive. Kirsch fought hard to escape but he was getting nowhere. With a loud snarl, he shifted, his large frame breaking apart the bench under them. He tossed the assailant off and she hit the ground hard. His muscles rippled with alarm at the threat, hackles raising dark brown fur. He growled low with his teeth on display. She laughed, tossing her hair out of her face and getting to her feet. Her movements were no longer stunted. She had been playing up her injury. Through her torn jeans he could see the gleam of metal.

"Almost got you doggie. You might want to be a little more careful who you walk home," she taunted, revealing sharp teeth and yellow irises. He barked and then lunged at her but she quickly evaded.

"Keep an eye on your pack leader. You wouldn't want something awful to happen to her," she continued to taunt, laughing when he tried to attack and missed again. She then made a run for it, disappearing behind the building. He wanted to take off after her but halted, not able to do so in his current form. He shifted and then ran after her, but by the time he rounded the corner, she was gone. He was breathing heavily and blood ran down from his shoulder, skin further torn with his shift. He held a hand to it and winced. She sliced through most of the muscle in such a quick time. The pain was spreading and making it hard to move. He took a calming breath and then turned to face LaFontaine and Perry's room. He could trust their pack nurse to patch him up until he healed. She had been doing so for such a long time and she was so nice. At a time like this he would have wanted to talk to Will, but no one knew where the vampire was, so Kirsch searched out the next best thing, Perry's caring face and gentle words.


	6. Chapter 6

Perry had just returned from her floor don duties to see a worn out Kirsch slumped against the wall outside her door. She rushed over when she smelt blood and then her eyes widened the second she saw the source. She quickly opened her door and gestured him inside while looking right and left down the hall. She shut the door after following him in and directed him to the bathroom where he sat heavily on the closed toilet lid.

"Kirsch, what happened?" she questioned, her voice already wavering as she gathered the needed supplies. He pulled off his shirt and attempted to wipe at the wound but Perry slapped his hand away and snatched the shirt from him. She set the ruined shirt on the tank of the toilet and then began wiping at the torn flesh of his shoulder with a damp rag. He cringed a little with every pass over it but held still.

"I went to see about that chick that hangs out with the blonde. What was she again? A lamia? Anyway, the redhead is something too," he replied.

"What is she? Do you know?" Perry questioned, hating all the violence and danger going on but pushing her way through it for her pack.

"No. I'm not so good at labeling things by sight, you know? I bet Danny or Will's sis could figure it out, but not me," he answered, bowing his head. Perry was currently wrapping up his shoulder after properly cleaning and disinfecting it. She would have wanted to stitch it closed but it was too wide. Besides, now that it was clean and the bandages protected it, he would heal soon anyway.

"We should get a hold of them as soon as possible, except, I'm not sure if Danny is still busy but LaFontaine should be back with Carmilla. They went out on an additional patrol today. Carmilla wasn't happy, what with the sun agitating her and having to be up earlier than normal…" Perry rambled, clearly frazzled once more. Kirsch stood to pull her into a hug, trying to put her at ease. She was shocked at first but then patted his back.

"Hey Perr? Could I ask your opinion on a girl problem I have?" he wondered. Perry stepped back so that she could look up at him.

"Sure honey, you can come to me with anything," she assured, feeling more comfortable in this kind of setting. She felt better in a healer role, both physically as well as emotionally, and her pack appreciated her around even though she did tend to be a nagging mom at the worst of times. She put away the supplies before raiding the spare clothes wardrobe for a shirt he could wear. Once it was on he took a seat on one of the beds. Perry sat next to him. Being such a big guy, it was odd to see Kirsch hunched over with his hands clasped between his knees, looking uncertain and small.

"I really like Danny," he finally spat out, wide eyes looking to Perry.

"Oh," she responded, surprised by such a straightforward statment.

"But you see, she's so caught up in the little nerd hottie, which is fine, but I've liked her for so long and it bugs that she doesn't see that, you know? What should I do?" he explained, staring down at his hands.

"Maybe you should just tell her?" Perry suggested. When he turned to her with incredulity written all over his face she back-stepped.

"Well then start by making it a little more obvious. Do things for her. Learn what she likes and then address them without her having to say anything. Be patient and I'm sure she'll come around eventually," she advised, patting his arm.

"But what if she'll always be hung up on Laura?" he pointed out.

"I don't think that'll be a problem," she denied.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Being a close friend of LaFontaine means seeing Laura almost daily. With a roommate like Carmilla she needs a little help cleaning up and possibly eating healthier foods, but that's not the point. What I'm saying is, Laura doesn't seem to have strong feelings for Danny. Maybe at one point they could have been, but I think she's moved on," Perry reassured him. Kirsch's face scrunched in thought, wondering how someone could stop liking Danny, and tried to figure out who Perry had subtly hinted to Laura actually liking.

"Does she like LaFontaine?" he questioned. Perry's face looked comical with her wide eyes and slightly pursed lips. Kirsch would have laughed if it wasn't for the way her brows knit together.

"Don't be silly, she likes Carmilla," she snapped unintentionally. Kirsch's eyebrows raised at the knowledge. He never would have guessed with all the fighting they did.

"I mean, I think she does," Perry corrected, trying to save face. He grinned.

"My lips are sealed," he replied. Perry smiled gratefully. She wasn't one to blab people's business, whether it was true or not, so she felt particularly guilty. Kirsch understood though and she could count on him to act like he hadn't been told a thing. But now that she mentioned it, the few times he saw the little nerd hottie she was always around Carmilla if she wasn't with LaFontaine and Perry. Danny was often busy but even when they spent time together it was short. At least to Perry and LaFontaine, it was obvious that Laura was crushing hard on the vampire no matter how much she tried to deny it.

"Look at that, **I** get to barge in this time," Carmilla suddenly remarked as she threw the door open. LaFontaine shook her head as she entered behind her.

"She insisted on it," they explained, stopping to stand by Perry with their arms crossed.

"And now that I've done that I'm outta here," she stated, turning back for the door.

"Wait! I found another monster chick! Maybe you can help figure out what she is," Kirsch exclaimed, leaping from his seat with a hand out. Carmilla turned back around, dark eyes scanning him for the spilled blood she smelled. The way he stood and held his shoulder indicated where the damage was.

"Did she look unusual?" she questioned, grabbing a chair to sit on it backwards and fold her arms over the back of it.

"You mean besides her eyes turning yellow, sharp teeth, and a metal leg?" he responded. Carmilla pursed her lips in thought. It sounded familiar. She shook her head, her brows pulling down over her slim nose, pinching the skin as she pressed fingers to her temple.

"What did she say?" she asked next.

"Umm, something about Adam and a decline in his line and Earth and some dude named Tomas, or was it Tomson?" he responded, a finger at his chin in thought as his eyes looked to the ceiling. Carmilla looked at him with a raised brow.

"You mean Tomlinson? As in the poem by Rudyard Kipling?" she stated.

"Yeah! That one! But I don't know what that Kipling guy has to do with anything," he muttered. Carmilla searched her extensive knowledge of literature and came upon some lines from the poem. He was one of her favorites. She took a few moments more to try and make sense of it while the others watched on, silent so that she could think.

"'There's sore decline in Adam's line if this be spawn of Earth. Empusa's crew, so naked-new they may not face the fire'…she's an empusa," Carmilla concluded.

"Are you sure?" LaFontaine spoke up quietly.

"She fits the classic description. Also, it's the next line to the poem, coming right after the one she quoted," she responded.

"She told me no one would want to end up like Tomlinson but then she said that I wouldn't with the right persuasion," Kirsch shared, remembering more.

"Wolves are loyal and protective. They have honor and a duty to their land. Most would die heroes than traitors. I've never heard of a wolf ever dying without either being a huge asshole or a revered war hero," LaFontaine commented, catching on to the conversation.

"Yes, which refers back to the poem. It was about a man who hadn't established himself enough on Earth so when he passed on he couldn't be admitted to either Heaven or Hell. He was sent back to Earth to try gaining either more good deeds or more sinful acts. She was accusing you of doing nothing of worth; that you would be just like him, being sent away with no place anywhere unless you chose a side. Her persuasion would be turning you against your pack, against your leader, and ultimately ending up with her in hell," Carmilla explained to Kirsch. The slowly growing horror built in him and then he was up on his feet, growling.

"I'd never turn my back on Danny! Or you guys, heh," he began furiously, only to realize what he said and scratch shyly at the back of his neck. The others just smiled knowingly at him.

"She threatened your honor and practically promised she would drag you to Hell. I say we add her to the extermination list and find the last one causing trouble," Camilla told him then glanced at the others as she got up. Perry busied herself with calming down Kirsch, LaFontaine wandered to their small fridge to dig around, and Carmilla turned to leave but she was called back.

"Hey vampire, catch," LaFontaine said, tossing her a package. She caught it and held it close to her nose, knowing what it was.

"Thanks," she said with a nod.

"Don't mention it. I have resources I might as well use if you're on the team. We can't have you feeding on the left over students," she commented playfully. Carmilla smirked, a fang on display.

"I wouldn't dare hurt them…a lot," she scoffed, gaining a look from both wolves and the kitsune.

"I'm just messing with you. Yikes, tough crowd," she remarked, laughing at their scolding expressions as she walked out. She tucked the box under her arm and ran straight back to her dorm, anxious to get back to Laura. She hoped the tiny human stayed put, because with two known hungry creatures on the loose, they had their work cut out for them. Meanwhile, JP was busy hacking into the system on his laptop in the corner of the history section. Danny found him there and folded her long legs under her, silently waiting for him to acknowledge her presence.

"Fearless leader," he welcomed.

"Dead boy," she replied. He cracked a smile and so did she. It was kind of a rocky start between them but they couldn't hate each other forever. They might as well be the only group of wolves and vampires united instead of parting ways once the situation was over.

"I've cross-referenced the ID's of the girls living in that building with their schedules and found that some shared a class with the missing students," he told her.

"I didn't find anything new but I'm going back when I get the chance. So what exactly did you find?" Danny questioned.

"Well, to fit the description of who we currently ran into, information given to me via text, I've narrowed it down once more. Carmilla, Will, and now Kirsch can point out the faces to make sure. As for the mystery brunette, well there were a few in there that can be considered with more questioning, seeing as our last leads needed to be narrowed," he informed.

"Good work," she told him, nodding approvingly with a smile. JP returned it and then he focused back on the computer screen, his fingers flying across the keyboard. Without him they might have been flailing. Maybe having vampires on the team wasn't so bad. Danny stuck around until JP packed up then they walked together to a spot full of tables and chairs that was sheltered under an overhang of the surrounding buildings. With the sun still pretty much out the vampires would prefer shade. It was already the afternoon, but the sun, in any lesser form possible, was always the better choice. She sent out a mass text telling everyone to meet up as well as the location. LaFontaine, Perry, and Kirsch showed up first followed later by Carmilla who took her time. Will didn't show again.

"Where's Willy boy?" Carmilla questioned, looking around. JP's worried expression behind his laptop screen caught her attention. She strode over and pushed it shut, narrowly catching his fingers if his quick reflexes hadn't kicked in.

"You know something," she accused, steady gaze pinning him to his seat.

"Dude, chill," LaFontaine intervened, stepping forward to push her back. She smacked their hand away with a growl.

"JP," she addressed him, a hand coming down on the laptop.

"He told me not to tell you. He thought he knew who the brunette was so he followed her and I haven't heard from him since. But it's Will. He's probably fine, right?" he said with a shrug. Carmilla glared at him but her anger faded quickly to be replaced with slight concern. She sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. It was just like Will to take matters into his own hands. He always felt the most insignificant when it came to mother and the roles each of them played in the past. JP was the first to join her, but his knowledge was what she used him for. Carmilla was next, the lure and seducer in her game. Then came Will, the brawn go-getter, the one to do most of the heavy lifting. He wasn't nearly as useful, but still needed, or he wouldn't have been turned. What a mama's boy though.

Of course he ran off, trying to be the hero to make up for what he had done, but in reality, they were best together, neither better than the other. Mother pit them against each other in order to make them work hard but Carmilla began to rebel and JP stopped trying to give his best. Will still tried, being the youngest and most neglected. It seemed that now that she was gone he tried to take her role as leader. In order of human age he was the oldest, followed by JP, with Carmilla as the youngest. It was possible he felt he needed to step up, but it shouldn't have been done alone, and that was why Carmilla was pissed. She hated when he did that because it reminded her how vulnerable her adopted family made her. It reminded her how much she cared. For all she knew these killers saw that and captured Will to break them apart. The same goal might be applied to the wolves too. Kirsch could testify to that.

"You ok?" the Zeta member said at that moment, bringing her back to the present with a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, seeing her worry mirrored in his eyes. The two different species were known to dislike the other, but as Kirsch said, bros had each other's backs.

"Yeah. I'm fine. We need to hurry up and pin down these two girls and then figure out the last one. We'll have a better idea of where we can look for Will," she instructed, taking a seat across from JP who nodded and opened his laptop again. Kirsch sat down next to her. Once the page was back up JP showed them the collected faces. Carmilla easily placed the lamia. The blonde was unmistakable. Her name was Lorelei. Kirsch pointed out the empusa. Her name was Lynn. JP cycled the names back into his cross-referenced checklist and smirked.

"We got them. And look what we have here. If I'm not mistaken, lamias drain victims of blood after injecting them with venom. It would explain the torn out necks. Empusas tend to drink blood as well as eat flesh. The ripped apart bodies are now explained," he remarked. The group each pulled disgusted faces. Even though the vampires needed blood they didn't mind if it was already removed from the source as long as it was fresh or properly preserved so that they didn't get sick. The wolves ancestors had been known to hunt down and eat animals as well as humans but most modern day wolves were fine doing what any normal wolf in the wild did when their hunger spiked, hunt down wild animals. So with this in mind, none of them liked the sound of the female monstrosities on the loose.

"If we're on the right track does that mean the last one lives in the same place too? I swear I picked up on three different scents," Danny informed him.

"It's quite possible but we can't be sure as of right now. I think we should find these new leads and repeat the previous process. If that leads nowhere I'm sure she won't sit around hiding forever. The other two clearly didn't," JP replied. He made a list for each of them with the name and schedule of every brunette girl living in the building they had been investigating. It looked like a lot to do but with each one getting a few the work was equally divided. Most of them were able to be caught on the way to their own classes or they shared a class anyway. They split up after that. Carmilla fell into step with Danny, keeping up even though the taller girl was a much faster walker with her big strides.

"What do you need dead girl?" she asked, glancing at Carmilla.

"I've neglected to do laundry, as always, so it's your lucky day. You get to sniff my used and battle worn clothes," she replied, smirking at the wolf.

"Ew, why?" she demanded, face scrunched in repulsion.

"Because you'll get to match the scent the lamia left on me with one of the scents you picked up. Then I suggest doing the same to Kirsch's shirt, if Perry hasn't already tossed it. That way you'll have two scents matched up and analyzed, giving you only one scent to focus on. Maybe then we won't have to play twenty one questions and use you as a blood hound instead," the vampire clarified, lazily looking up at Danny. Realization dawned on her, but she quickly wiped away the impressed look on her face, covering it with formal acknowledgment.

"That's useful," she commented.

"Gee, thanks for the gratitude. You're too kind," Carmilla replied snidely.

"Well don't expect a fanfare from me," Danny countered.

"I don't, but a 'thank you' here and there wouldn't kill you," Carmilla snapped, veering in front of Danny so that she had to stop. She would have run the shorter girl over, but past experience told her that even if she was a smaller opponent that didn't mean she was any weaker. She was sure they were almost the same in that regard, so she just stood tall and glared down at her.

"I think it might actually," she growled. Carmilla could see her frame trembling, the need to shift and fight simmering under the surface, but the wolf held back. She wanted to poke and prod her some more, maybe force her to shift so that she could put the blame on her for the inevitable fight between them, but somewhere in her subconscious she thought of Laura and how much she would disapprove. Dammit, the tiny human had snuck up on her and now she was allowing her to influence her very thought processes.

"You know, as much as I really want to cut the heroic vampire crap that's been happening to me recently, I won't. I won't let a stupid, temperamental wolf with a territory problem screw that up for me," she stated, tone stern and unyielding. Danny huffed out a breath then pushed past Carmilla to enter their building. She stomped up the stairs and then went right to Room 307. Carmilla knew that's where she was going. She wanted to check on Laura of course. And while she knew the wolf leader had territory issues, she had to admit she did too. The only difference was that Danny's territory was the very land they stood on while Carmilla's was the room built on top of that land, her only small slice of home; the insanely brave, smart yet dorky human included. Carmilla entered her room to see said human already sharing a friendly smile with the ginger giant.

"So how have you been?" Laura asked from her seat perched at the end of her bed. Danny sat comfortably in the rolling chair at the desk, an arm propped lazily over the back.

"I'm fine. Been busy with class work and the Summer Society. I miss hanging out with you. We should go out some time," she replied.

"We should. We haven't really hung out as a group for a while," Laura responded, ever oblivious to Danny's affection for her.

"Yeah…with the group," she muttered, her eyes flicking to glare at Carmilla when she walked over to the stool by the window with an entertained smirk.

"Top of the hamper Xena," Carmilla spoke up, infinitely more amused when Danny tensed and her jaw muscle jumped, but she got up to find the shirt anyway, determined not to let Carmilla get to her. Laura looked from Danny to Carmilla and back again, confused. Carmilla just smiled. Danny effortlessly found the article of clothing, careful not to disturb the rest for fear she would find something she didn't want to.

"Are you trying to sneak a peek at the red lace?" Carmilla continued to jest, making Laura blush as she tried, and failed, to nonverbally chastise her. Danny just rolled her eyes, balling up the shirt in her hand.

"Don't expect me to bring it back," she said under her breath towards Carmilla who looked unaffected. Her mood had soured when she let her senses unintentionally scan the room. The knowledge that the vampire might be getting a little too close to Laura grated on her. Neither had mentioned anything, which wasn't new concerning Carmilla, but she had hoped Laura would keep her in the loop.

"Fine," Carmilla intoned, getting up to relocate to her bed. Danny just ignored her, glancing at a clearly puzzled yet concerned Laura before striding out the door. Carmilla made it very hard to befriend her but she knew having her as an ally was better than having her as an enemy.


End file.
